Indiana baseball (5-7) had an opening non-conference slate filled with highs and lows. They scored wins against Central Florida and four-time Big East champion Xavier, while being swept in a three-game road series by No. 8 North Carolina and losing to No. 2 LSU in Jacksonville, Florida.
The Hoosiers, who played 11 of their first 12 away from home, had a midweek game against Northern Kentucky cancelled due to inclement weather.
Indiana will finally return home to Bart Kaufman Field Friday, as they open conference play with a three-game set against the Washington Huskies (3-9), who are making their first ever trip to Bloomington.
Home series have been a strength for head coach Jeff Mercer since arriving at IU in 2019, as Indiana has won 22 out of 26 home conference sets (series of 3-4 games) in his seven seasons at the helm.
“Anytime you’re at home, guys sleep better, they rest better, you can prepare them better,” Mercer said Thursday. “We are good structurally at education, teaching and developing..”
Indiana will need to have a strong season in conference play to compensate for their difficult non-conference slate, which still includes road games against two preseason Top 25 teams: Vanderbilt (March 17) and Louisville (April 28).
The Hoosiers’ 16-14 Big Ten record in 2025 was not good enough to get them into the NCAA Tournament, as they narrowly missed with a final record of 32-24. For Indiana to return to the tournament in 2026, they will probably need to finish with closer to 20 wins in conference play.
The Cream and Crimson are certainly capable of doing that, as despite their mediocre start, they are showing many signs of optimism. Brayden Ricketts is the reigning Big Ten Freshman of the Week, headlined by his two-home run, five-RBI performance vs Western Kentucky last Sunday.
The starting pitching has also been a bright spot, with left-handed pitchers Tony Neubeck and Brayton Thomas both having earned run averages below 2.5 on the young season. Out of the bullpen, RHP Gavin Seebold has not given up a run in 11.2 innings pitched.
Though Washington is 3-9, they have won their last two contests, both being against San Diego State. The Huskies also bring a different brand of baseball coming from the Pac-12, something IU knows they will be challenged with over the weekend.
“When we played UCLA and USC last year…very different pitch styles,” Mercer said. “A lot of guys have two fastballs, a changeup, and they all throw at least one breaking ball for a strike. The swing decisions and the pressure of the swing decisions are different.”
Indiana’s probable starters for the weekend series:
Friday: LHP Tony Neubeck (0-1, 1.46 ERA)
Saturday: LHP Brayton Thomas (1-0, 2.13 ERA)
Sunday: RHP Jackson Bergman (1-1, 4.50 ERA)
It is very possible weather could have an impact on this series, as there is a high chance of rain all weekend long. For now, the games are scheduled for: Friday at 5 p.m. ET , Saturday at 1 p.m. ET, and Sunday at noon.
